Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to preserve the Britain's grassroots live music spots.
Fender was given the prize on October 16 as his third album People Watching was declared the best record of the last 12 months.
He has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the region, and further afield, when I was beginning," remarked Sam Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – roughly 16% of the entire UK sector.
Recently, major artists like the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to support the industry, by adding a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits local stages.
Sam Fender also joined in, generating over £100k on his recent tour to support thirty-eight small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money helped spaces that were dealing with imminent closure due to challenges stemming from floods, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and sound issues.
Some locations obtained funding support in upgrading facilities and gear that positively impacted musicians and fans.
"The notion that money from shows in big venues helps the local stages, where it all starts for artists like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.
He is among several artists to donate his Mercury Prize funds to worthy causes.
When they received the award in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, vocalist Cocker announced that the act would give their cash to the organization War Child.
In 2002, artist Ms Dynamite split her prize between a few organizations, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I gave a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they required updated gear," the artist explained to the media.
In recent years, the band gave their funds to the local youth club that developed their group, as well as other independent music bodies.
Additionally 1994 winners they donated their award to a MS organization after a close contact was found to have the disease.
"Winning was ample," said artist the singer. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the cake. So our winning affected somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT shared it had rescued two local spots in the South East, by transferring them to local control.
The Joiners in the city and the second in Bristol were purchased under the public acquisition scheme, which is supported by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "stakes" in the buildings.
